


The Krampus Murders

by extremelyperturbed



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Horror, Cannibalism, Chilton abuse, Dark Comedy, Harm to Children, Kid Frederick Chilton, Kid Margot, Kid Mason, Krampus!Hannibal, Margot abuse, Minor Character Death, Multi, Violence, Weirdness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-04
Updated: 2017-03-05
Packaged: 2018-09-14 17:14:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 14,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9195665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/extremelyperturbed/pseuds/extremelyperturbed
Summary: In European legend, Krampus is a dark-skinned, horned being who punishes the wicked, sometimes by striking you and sometimes by abducting you for later snackage.  Unfortunately, Jack Crawford and Will ends up working the holiday season when someone seems to be emulating Krampus.





	1. Chapter 1

The incidents began with a murder and an abduction on Christmas Eve. It would have remained under the jurisdiction of the local police if it weren't for the fact that the man murdered was Molson Verger, the owner and CEO of the vast Verger meat packing empire and the abduction was of his son and heir, Mason Verger. Unfortunately, this meant that Jack Crawford had to cut short his Christmas vacation to work on this along with the forensics team. 

Unfortunately for one Jack Crawford, the only witness was the nine year old daughter of the family named Margot. What made things worse was that she insisted that a large dark-skinned monster with horns and claws had come to her room, informed her that he was here to punish bad children like her brother but that she was free to blame him for everything that was going to happen before leaving her room. What complicated things further was that there was no trace of human DNA other than the victims and residents of the mansion but that her description of the perpetrator matched the legends from Europe regarding Krampus, a beast-like figure who punished wicked children. And now that Molson and Mason were gone, some of the servants were finally admitting that Molson was a monster and the son was no different and that both had repeatedly abused Margot terribly.

Molson had not gone down without a fight. He was a thick-necked bull of a man who always kept a knife under his pillow, the knife he used to test pigs for their fat and as Jack found out, threatened to use on Margot once she "came of age." Molson had not been shot but instead had faced an assailant with a similar taste in sharp objects. There were several bruises and abrasions on the man's body and defensive wounds on his arms and hands. What finally took him down were several deep cuts across the belly and subsequent gutting. Jack pulled out his cellphone. 

"Will, I need your help," said Jack.

The voice on the other end moaned, "Oh, for fuck's sake, Jack, it's Christmas."

Jack briefly wondered if Will had a hangover. "The wicked do not rest."

"Are you calling me wicked?"

Jack growled, "No, of course not."

***

"It's obviously not a professional hit," said Will after he finished examining the blood spattered bedroom where Molson had been sleeping by himself before being awakened by an unwelcome visitor. "This was done with a certain amount of enjoyment. Not that hit men don't sometimes enjoy their work but this was done with a great deal of relish. Also, most hit men don't gut their victim and make off with their internal organs."

Jack sighed. "I suspected that much but what do you make of the Verger girl's account of what happened to her brother and father?"

"It might be shock or we have a killer with a very twisted sense of humor. After all, Krampus does punish bad children, a sort of the dark side of Santa. I can't say I feel that sorry for the victims. He probably saved Margot a lot of pain."

"This murderer gutted a man while still alive and took a nine-year old boy."

Will couldn't bring him to feel sorry for Mason, especially after hearing multiple servants talk about incidents like Molson and Mason laughing after setting Margot's hair on fire and how Margot had given her kitten away rather than see Mason hurt it to get back at her. "To be honest, I'll be surprised if he is alive. Mason, I mean."

"You don't think he'll ask for a ransom."

Will shook his head. "No, it doesn't feel like a kidnapping for ransom. He would have just quietly stole Mason, not come here and kill the guy who would be writing the check."

"Damn. We've already contacted some of Molson's siblings to see if they're interested in taking in Margot. In the meantime, the CPS has her with a foster family in the meantime."

Will nodded his head. "There's not much I can give you, Jack. I'd say that Molson was facing a man as tall as him and strong, very experienced in knife fighting. I do get a feeling that Molson didn't know him or at least cared about him because he wasn't holding back."

Jack nodded his head. "There's a five million dollar reward for whoever did these crimes. That's something that Molson made sure went into effect if his death was in any way suspicious. I have heard a lot of incredibly unsavory stories about the man."

"So, the suspect pool is large."

"It's almost infinite."

***

Frederick Chilton was a very bad boy. Oh, he wasn't someone who beat people up himself regularly or used the kind of bad words even proper adults would fight other adults over. He was, however, someone who had little problem telling on others to avoid trouble himself and feeling angry and petty towards the other children who rolled their eyes at him and didn't want to be his friend. Often children who had problems making friends with other children could often make friends with adults. This was not the case for Chilton. 

Still, it could be argued that he was already being punished for this as he opened his Christmas presents with only his bored nanny around to jolly him through opening multiple boxes that held practical presents of clothes with the occasional respite of a decent first shooter video game. His parents were away on vacation for a second honeymoon. His nanny was still in the house because they had paid her a large bonus to stay and watch him during the holidays. She stayed in the basement which had been converted into her bedroom while his room was on the second floor of the house. 

Chilton shivered in his room even though he had piled on all his blankets. He opened his eyes and noticed that his breath was fogging up in the room, which was truly strange because his nanny loved to put the thermostat up to seventy degrees so if anything he should have been throwing off a few layers. That was when he noticed the dark figure standing next to his bed with eyes that had no pupils nor irises but just white sclera.

Chilton was about to scream when a hand that had a weird smell of iron and meat clamped itself over his mouth. It was a large cold hand with claws. He looked upwards but immediately regretted it as he saw a  
mouth full of sharp teeth, those bizarre eyes and two sharp horns coming from the front of its head. It was naked though he couldn't tell if it was male or female. 

"Be quiet or your tongue will become part of my salad," it said in a thick accented English.

The creature lifted his hand a few inches above Chilton's mouth then stopped as if to make sure it would cut off the scream the second it began.

"What do you want?" said Chilton, very nearly pissing his pajama pants.

"Have you heard of Krampus?"

"No," said Chilton.

"Santa gives good children presents. Krampus gives bad children what they deserve."

"I'm not bad," said Chilton.

"A sign of being bad is lying . . ." said the being as it lifted a bundle of birch branches and began striking him with it.

Chilton finally let out a scream of terror, which was so loud that it reached his nanny, who did a sprint up the basement stairs then the stairs to the second floor. She ran into the room before finding Chilton, alive but with scratches on his arms and bits of birch branches on his bed. 

***

"Nobody died," said Jack, "But he's another witness who claims that it was Krampus. His nanny said that the doors were locked and she didn't hear anybody enter but that Chilton's bedroom window was open when she got there. We found . . ." Jack really didn't want to say it.

"What did you find?" said Will, looking very upset and tired at being out again. 

"Footprints of large cloven feet around the front of the house. I talked to Beverly, Jimmy and Brian and the imprint pattern is definitely that of a biped. Someone is going the extra mile to convince us of the existence of Krampus."

"Was the boy the only person who was visited by Krampus this time," said Will.

"So far that we know of. Kade Purnell is trying to figure out how to release this information to the public if anything. The last thing we need is Freddy Lounds sniffing her way around this. It's the kind of weird thing that excites her."

Will groaned.

"We asked the neighbors if they saw or heard anything but nothing. It's not surprising. It was three in the morning and the neighborhood is quiet. Why is he imitating this thing?"

"Because he thinks he's Krampus," said Will. "He really believes the people he's going after deserve some punishment. Maybe we should ask the nanny what she thinks of her charge."


	2. Chapter 2

"Jack, come to bed."

Jack turned from his home computer to look at Bella, who was in her nightgown. "I'm sorry, Bella. I'm just trying to see if I can track down something. There's been a rash of murders lately and I keep thinking that I heard of something similar that happened a while back."

"You need to go to sleep. You don't want to fall asleep while driving to another crime scene," she said. 

"Give me thirty minutes," said Jack.

Bella gave him a tired smile and went to bed alone.

Jack felt a bit guilty because he knew that it was very likely going to take more than half an hour. After all, this was not the first time this kind of thing has happened. Turning back to the computer, he continued searching until he found what he was looking for. Thirty years ago, there had been a series of murders in Louisiana around the New Orleans area called "The Rougarou Murders." After he read several sites and organized his notes, he looked at the information he had.

The murders were committed between Christmas and the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6th. The days in between were called the Twelve Days of Christmas. Like the current present day murders, the weapon used was not a gun but assumed to be a knife. The bodies found would almost always be missing various internal organs. The only surviving witness to the previous murders was a small child, who would describe a tall, muscular non-human intruder with horns, sharp teeth, glowing eyes and long claws. People in the area nicknamed it the Rougarou Murders despite the fact that in legend, Rougarou did not have horns. No suspect was ever arrested in connection with them.

Jack frowned. I wonder if Will remembers hearing about this, he thought. I remember he said he lived in the area at the time. He decided to talk to Will the next day about this and get Miriam Lass, a FBI student he found promising, to do some further research on it. 

***

"The Rougarou Murders?" said Will as he sat opposite Jack in his office. "I was only seven, Jack."

Jack rolled his eyes. "I'm not asking if you committed the murders. I was just wondering if you heard anything interesting that might not have made it into police reports or any official documentation. I can't imagine people not talking about it for years afterwards."

Will frowned in concentration and at the kind of crazy requests Jack made of him. "Parents did use the murders to tell their kids that if they didn't behave, the Rougarou would snatch them up and eat them. I didn't hear much talk about the actual murders because my dad soon moved out of the area and up north. Why are you interested in it?"

"I was thinking that it might have a connection to the current Krampus murders. The description of the perpetrator are very similar as is the timing so far."

"Thirty years gap is a long time not to kill." The Grim Sleeper murders did have a fourteen year gap but the gap Jack was proposing was more than twice that.

"There could be killings in between that we don't know about. I'm having a student look into any other killings during the holidays for the years in between that have these characteristics."

"There haven't been any more killings, have there?"

"Not that we know of," said Jack. "Let's go to the lab."

***

"So, what did you find?" said Jack to his team of technicians.

Beverly said, "Coal was left at the scene of the crime. The coal is of the anthracite grade, hard and black and glossy. There were no fingerprints or hair samples or clothing fibers left behind. We're still testing the blood samples but we haven't found anything that wasn't the victims'. There was no sign of forced entry at either the Chilton or the Verger residences."

"Ughh, I feel like we're stuck in the middle of an X-Files episode," Will said sourly.

Jimmy chuckled. "So, who's Dana Scully and who's Fox Mulder?"

"And when are the aliens arriving?" said Brian.

Jack harrumphed at them joking about the situation though he knew graveyard humor was a defensive mechanism helping them get through the ugliness of their work. 

***

As Will drove home, Jack's mention of the Rougarou Murders began to bother him. There was something very familiar about it that was tickling the edge of his memory. It bothered him all throughout dinner, his nightly ritual of a glass of whiskey and a shower. 

That night, he dreamed that he was a child back in a rented trailer in Louisiana. His father was deep asleep, having had a lot to eat and drink at a Christmas party. He had been left at home and had made due with leftovers in the fridge. He had just slid into bed when the door to his room opened. For a second, he thought it was his father but then realized that it was someone else entirely. 

"I thought I sense the presence of a wicked boy in this place but I realize that the darkness I sensed was of a much different sort," said a voice in the darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

Will turned to see a strange monster with horns and sharp teeth standing in the doorway. "Who are you?"

"You could say that I help Santa deliver the things that people deserve," he said before walking towards his bed. He sat on the bed and said, "I notice that you don't have a tree."

"We didn't get any presents, so no point." His father had bought him a few new clothes and a pair of shoes earlier in the month but nothing like toys or anything frivolous. 

"I usually deliver coal to the naughty or even a flogging if they're especially bad. But rest assured, I have no plans to give either to you. Would you like a sleigh ride?"

"My father . . ."

"He won't wake up while we're gone. I can make sure of that."

"I don't have . . ."

"I have a coat I can lend you in the sleigh. I know your father will ask questions if you kept it."

Will followed the creature outside. "I don't even know your name."

"I have many names," he said. 

Will was surprised to see it was snowing. Winters in the area were usually mild and he had never seen it snow before. He shivered at the unexpected cold.

Will saw a black sleigh with one black stag covered in black feathers. "Where are the rest?"

"Rest? I only need one Ravenstag," he said. He reached into the sleigh and pulled out a long fur coat with a hood. 

Will tried it on and found it soft and warm and perfectly matching his size. "Thank you."

He got in the sleigh and the creature took the reins. The Ravenstag easily pulled them. It was quiet and there appeared to be nobody around. The longer they were on the sleigh, the less familiar things looked around him with more and more snow falling around them. Will began wondering if he was still in Louisiana. 

"Are you hungry?" the creature said.

"A little." He was much more hungry than a little but he didn't want to admit it.

"How does Cochon De Lait sound?"

"I'd love that," said Will. Cochon De Lait was suckling pig roasted for hours over a fire. Done right, there was also skin that would crackle when one bit down on it. It was one of his favorite foods but also one that he rarely tasted.

They went to a clearing where a suckling pig was already roasting over a fire from a bed of charcoal. "It appears about done," said the creature. The creature dug into his bag and found two plates, two forks, a sharp knife and stacked each plate with the meat, careful to get as much skin as possible.

"It's good," said Will as they sat in the sleigh and ate. 

"How often are you hungry?"

"Sometimes. My dad doesn't always have enough money for both groceries and the rent." He didn't admit this to teachers or the occasional social worker but he felt no problem telling the creature this for some reason. 

"I did not see your mother."

"She's gone," Will said. "She left a while back. I still miss her. Can you get her back?"

"I'm sorry but that's not the kind of gift I give. Would you like anything else?"

Will shook his head no then stopped to say, "Could I stay?"

"Stay?"

"Stay with you."

The creature gently put his hand on top of Will's head. "Have you no friends or kin that would miss you? Surely, your father . . ."

"No, he says I look too much like her . . . And we move around too much for me to make friends . . ."

"Nobody has ever requested this of me. Unfortunately, my line of work is such that I could not take good care of you."

They returned to his trailer the same way they had left. After Will got off the sleigh and returned the coat, he said, "Will I ever see you again?"

The creature smiled. "You will and I never break a promise."

***

Will awoke from his dream. "It's just a dream," he said out loud. He wanted to believe it wasn't real because it had some really bizarre implications if it was real.

By the time he took a shower, he had calmed down. He often had odd, vivid dreams where he could remember tasting the food and the texture of whatever he touched. As long as there aren't any more murders, he thought, I will stay at home and rest. He put on the water to boil for coffee.

There was a knock at his door. Will briefly prayed it wasn't Jack before he looked through the peephole. He scowled and opened the door. 

"Merry Christmas," said Hannibal. He was holding a couple of shopping bags. 

"Doctor Lecter, what are you doing here?"

"After I approved you to continue working in the field, you have been avoiding seeing me instead of going to regular weekly meetings. I find that rather rude."

"I figured that you'd rather spend time with more interesting patients, especially those who can pay . . ."

"Nonsense. I am always up to listening to anything you would care to tell me. Can I please come in? It's rather cold out."

Will grumpily let him in and shut the door behind him. He didn't like the sight of the shopping bags. There were presumably gifts in there, a way of casting an obligation on him.

"I was in the mood to bake something seasonal. Have you ever heard of a panetonne?" Hannibal took out a box. 

"Is that a type of fruitcake?"

"It is nothing like the dense, gooey joke that Americans laugh about. It is a sweet bread studded with candied citrus and raisins. It is my own special recipe. I also made the sauce called crema di marscapone." Hannibal lifted the bread out of the box to reveal a golden brown loaf in the shape of an octagon. He put it on the table then pulled a small container of pale sauce. "Let me cut you a slice."

"I . . ." The kettle whistling as the water came to a boil interrupted Will. "Care for some coffee? The water just . . ."

"I would love some."

Will took some coffee beans from a bag in the refrigerator and poured a handful into a grinder. Once the beans were ground, he got out the coffee maker put the paper filter in the cone and put the grounds in it. He poured the hot water over the grounds and sniffed deeply. "Do you want cream and sugar?"

"Black will be fine with me," said Hannibal. "The panettone will be sweet enough."

Will filled two mugs and set them on the table. He was slightly amused to see that Hannibal had brought plates and silverware. Hannibal cut them both a slice and poured a little of the crema over both their slices.

Will used a fork to cut himself a bite and tasted it. The bits of dried fruit inside the bread were soft and bursting with flavor and the bread was tender and sweet without crossing over into cake territory. The sauce, to his taste, matched perfectly. "This is good," he said. 

"I'm glad you like it."

After Will took a few more bites of Hannibal's bread, he said, "You listen to people talk about their dreams."

"Of course, why?"

"I had a strange dream last night. It must have been because of work."

"Why don't you . . ."

The phone rang.


	4. Chapter 4

"I usually let it go to the answering machine," said Will.

"Will, it's Jack."

Will groaned.

Jack continued. "A suspect has turned himself and I want you to help us interrogate him."

Will snatched up the phone. "I know enough about the Krampus killer that he would never just turn himself in."

"You can come down and tell him that."

"Fine, I'll be there in an hour," said Will. Will turned to Hannibal. "I have to go."

"Let me drive you there. Jack has consulted with me on this case."

***

As they walked towards the FBI building, Hannibal said, "Why are you so sure that he didn't turn himself in?"

"The killer believes he's Krampus and would not question his own judgment regarding his victims. Why would Krampus believe himself to be bound by the laws of man? It's absurd," said Will.

"I agree with your assessment completely," said Hannibal. 

After they got past security at the entrance, they walked up to Jack, who was standing outside the one-way mirror of the interrogation room. "He's in there," said Jack.

Will took one look at the smiling man handcuffed to the table and made a noise of disgust. It was Matthew Brown. "I know who this is. That's not the Krampus killer. He might be a killer but not of the Krampus victims."

"How do you know?" said Jack.

"Because . . . I met him at a bar ONCE. Ever since then, he's been trying to get me to go out with him. I am sure this is all a ploy to get me to interact with him. Either you or Alana should interrogate him."

"All right, but he knows things about the crimes only the murderer would know."

"Tattlecrime," said Will. Both he and Jack had problems with people making false confessions using information on the tabloid website to bolster their fraudulent claims and get the attention they so craved. 

"I checked the website and Lounds' Twitter and Instagram accounts. This suspect's telling us stuff that's not on any of them."

"He might be working with Freddie in secret."

"Has he threatened you directly?" said Hannibal.

"No, he's never . . . He hasn't made any threats towards me but he makes me nervous."

Hannibal turned to Jack. "I think Will should just observe but not directly interrogate the man. In fact, the man should not even get to know or see that Will was here. His persistent behavior should not be rewarded."

"Fine, but I want you to watch," said Jack before he walked off to get Alana.

"I'm sorry our breakfast was interrupted," said Hannibal.

"You should open up a pastry shop. I'd be sure to go there regularly," said Will. He sighed before he said, "He's only seen me once but he's been obsessed with me since. It's completely ridiculous."

"Maybe you made an impression on him. You were about to talk about your dream . . ."

"I can't remember it. It's gone."

"Let me drive you home."

***

Matthew was driving home late at night after finally being released by the FBI. While driving down a back road, he turned on his hands-free phone headset. "Hey, Freddie, are you there?"

"So, did you get any information?" said Freddie.

"Not as much as I hoped for. I was interrogated and I gave them the information you already had. They did confirm that the killings were done with something sharp, not a gun. And that Margot did indeed see who killed her father and kidnapped her brother."

"Ah, well, not every gambit works. Did you see Will Graham?"

"Unfortunately, no. Apparently, Mr. Graham saw me through the one-way mirror window and declined to face me personally."

"What's up with calling him, Mr. Graham?" said Freddie. "You still have a boner for him?"

"He's to be respected."

"Whatever."

Suddenly, a large black stag appeared on the road and Matthew screamed while trying to swerve out of the way but crashed into it head on. 

"Matthew! Matthew! What happened? If you don't answer me, I'm going to call 911. Matthew!" said Freddie's voice.

Matthew was in no condition to answer.

***  
"The police did a welfare check after several people called to say that the music shop hasn't been open despite him having scheduled a half-dozen lessons with as many students," said Jack. "This is what we found in the backroom."

Will walked into the music shop's back room and saw that almost everything in the room was broken. In the middle of the room was the owner of the music store, Tobias Budge, on the floor with his skull fractured and his abdomen peeled back to reveal his innards.

"What really makes this an interesting case is that it turns out the victim was himself a serial killer. He was in the middle of turning his victim's guts into strings for his musical instruments when the killer came in."

"The victim put up a stronger resistance than Krampus was expecting," said Will. 

"He still won."

"Yes. What's missing from the body?"

"His heart, liver, lungs and stomach."

Will frowned. "It sounds like he's making haggis."

"What's that?" said Jack.

"It's a Scottish dish made out of sheep organs. It's kind of like a giant sausage."

"You think he's eating them?"

"Krampus is said to eat wicked children."

"I bet Freddie Lounds would love that detail. So, you think this is the Krampus killer."

"I'm sure of it. The same love for internal organs, use of sharp instruments, choice of victims he considers wicked."

"I had a student do some research on possible murders connected to our current killer. Besides the Rougarou killings in Louisiana, there was a series of killings around the Great Lakes area fifteen years ago. There were again young children who described the same kind of monster. They were all done in the same holiday season."

"It would appear he wants to be seen," said Will. "He must want the acknowledgment and the widespread fear of the mythological character without revealing his true identity, a kind of vicarious enjoyment."

"Mr. Crawford, there's someone outside here to see you."


	5. Chapter 5

They both went outside to see not only a short, rotund bearded man crying into his tissue but also Freddie Lounds looking self-righteously angry for once instead of full of ghoulish anticipation.

"What are you doing here?" said Jack.

"Tobias has not been returning my calls. I drove by to see if he was OK but then I saw all this police tape. You must tell me what is going on!"

"And who are you?"

"I am Franklyn Froideveaux. I am his best friend."

"Never mind that," snapped Freddie at him before turning on Will and Jack. "What did you do to Matthew Brown?"

"So, he was working for you!" snapped Will.

"He's currently in a coma in the hospital. They say his car ran into a huge animal like an elk or a bear but I know one of you had something to do with it."

"This is a crime scene and you are both to leave!" roared Jack.

"Doctor Lecter!" yelled Franklyn.

"What are you doing here?" said Hannibal. frowning. He had just arrived. 

"How do you two know each other?" said Will.

"He . . ."

"I am his patient," said Franklyn. He seemed quite proud of this fact.

"That is something one should keep confidential," said Hannibal. Will could tell he felt a deep sense of exasperation. He must be a difficult patient, he thought.

"Doctor Lecter, I think my best friend is dead! I will need an emergency session this afternoon."

"I'm sorry, Franklyn but I can not accommodate you. You will have to wait until your next appointment."

"But . . ." said Franklyn as the local cops led him away from the area. 

Freddie stormed off.

Hannibal turned to Will. "Why don't you fill me in? I would have been here earlier but the traffic . . ."

***

"Are you doing anything on New Year's Eve?" said Hannibal after they had looked over the crime scene.

"I was thinking of staying at home, watch the ball drop on TV then turn in, why?"

"I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with me then break out the champagne at midnight."

"I don't do well at parties."

"It wouldn't be a party. It would just be a private dinner. I know you don't like crowds, so it would be just the two of us. I can assure you that I cook as well as I bake."

"It depends. If I don't have to go out to another crime scene before then, I'll go. But if I have to go to another one, I'll be too emotionally wiped to make conversation."

"I understand. Is there anything that you would particularly like?"

"I would prefer fish but I'll leave the rest of the menu up to you. Just don't serve haggis."

"I didn't have plans to serve you that but why . . ."

"The Krampus killer took all the organs necessary for a human version of the recipe."

"So you believe our Krampus killer is a cannibal."

"I don't think he thinks of himself as human so he wouldn't consider himself practicing cannibalism but yes, I think he's eating them."

"Do you think his choice of victims is based on flavor?"

Will laughed. "No, our killer chooses victims he considers wicked."

"Do you consider his victims wicked?"

Will sighed. "His most recent victim is a serial killer. If he knew that ahead of time, then I can see why he chose Tobias. As for Molson Verger, I can't summon any real pity for him though I wonder if his son could have been helped with the right kind of therapy. As for Chilton, I didn't sense a real attempt to kill him. He may not be the most lovable child but I'm glad he's not dead."

"I see."

"I'm surprised I'm your choice of dinner partner for New Year's Eve."

"I often invite friends over for dinner. I've invited Jack, Alana, a few people I know from going to the opera . . ."

"And now it's my turn."

"Yes."


	6. Chapter 6

"What I am serving you is actually more for a New Year's Day meal but with your schedule being so uncertain, I decided to serve it today," said Hannibal at his dining table. Will was already seated. "This is called osechi ryori, special dishes served on Oshogatsu. The history of this food is that it was food prepared so it could last a few days, often already cooked or preserved by using vinegar. The food is then usually put into a jubako, a lacquered box and then served. Many still have special meanings attached to them."

"It sounds time consuming," said Will, looking at the four lacquered boxes lying on top of each other with the topmost one having a lid. 

"Nowadays in Japan, most families go to a department store or restaurant due to time constraints. Also, as refrigeration is now available, the scope of the food prepared has expanded. I myself have added a few European twists to this tradition."

"You really shouldn't have . . ."

"I assure you I would have made all this for New Year's anyway," said Hannibal. "Here is an amuse-bouche."

Hannibal handed Will a small dish with three little blinis topped with sour cream and caviar.

Will put them into his mouth, taking care to savor each slowly. "It's delicious."

"Not Japanese, but I couldn't resist. Our first course is a soup called o-zoni, which is a clear soup which I made out of fish stock with mochi cooked so it's soft. If you're unfamiliar with chop sticks . . ."

"I eat a lot of Chinese take out. I think I can manage."

After Will ate the soup, Hannibal took off the lid of the lacquered box and laid out the four layers on the table. He pointed out the various dishes. There was marinated herring roe called kazunoko, black sweetened beans called kuromame,small sardines cooked in sake, sugar, mirin and soy sauce called tazukuri, seaweed wrapped around freshwater eel called kombumaki, yellow mashed sweet potatoes studded with chestnuts called kurikinton, cooked vegetables, king crab meat, lobster, shrimp, various pieces of sushi whose fish he had ordered from the famous Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo, and a spongy egg custard cake that was a riff on the dish called datemaki.

Hannibal also brought out a bottle of chilled sake and two small cups. "Not all sake is heated. It really depends on the sake. This has a lighter, more delicate bouquet so I found chilling it to be more appropriate." He poured some in Will's cup then his own. 

"Doctor Lecter . . ." said Will after spending a few minutes sampling various dishes. 

"Please call me Hannibal."

"All right, Hannibal. How did you learn to cook like this?"

"I've traveled all over the world though the places that educated me the most in terms of technique were Paris and Florence. While I was in Europe, a dear friend of mine taught me much about the interplay of taste, texture and visual presentation. Unfortunately, she is no longer with us."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It has been more than two decades. Do not worry."

"It's rather intimidating, you know."

"Intimidating . . ."

"If one wanted to return the gesture, one would worry that one's level of cooking was in no way a match."

Hannibal smiled. "Your coffee was delightful. I would be happy with that."

"It's been a long time since I've been invited to dine with someone in their house."

"Really? Months?"

"More like years."

"That's their loss."

"I don't know. Most people aren't that keen on talking about crime scenes and homemade dog food."

"You're more than your job."

"Tell Jack that."

"If you could do something other than what you're doing now, what would you do?"

"I was a cop before I became an instructor. I suppose I could run a fishing shop or maybe a kennel. You're not psychoanalyzing me, are you?"

"I'm making conversation. Have you ever been outside the country?"

Will shook his head. "I've moved throughout much of the South as a kid, though. Then after I got shot in the shoulder, I decided to try my luck up north. You ever been to the South?"

"Just a short visit and that was years ago."

***

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1," said Will as the ball finally dropped on the television screen. 

Hannibal handed Will a glass of champagne while keeping one for himself. "Here's to a new year. May it bring many new good things to our lives." They clinked their glasses and drank the effervescent liquid.

"I really should be going," said Will.

"Nonsense, you have drunk quite a bit of alcohol tonight. I have a guest room prepared for you tonight. If you try to drive home, I will be worried for the next hour that I have either sent you to your death or into a police car. Please."

"Fine, all right." 

"Now let me show you where everything is."

***

Will was sleeping in the guest bedroom when he heard someone call his name and shake his shoulders. "Hmm?" he said before opening his eyes and seeing Krampus hovering over him. He was about to shout but Krampus put his hand over his mouth. 

"Please, let's talk like civilized people. Your host is perfectly safe. You're the one I came for." Krampus slowly lifted his hand. 

"Have I met you before?"

"Yes, a long time ago."

"Are you responsible for all the murders?"

Krampus nodded. 

"Are you going to kill me?" said Will. 

"No. I came to fulfill a promise I made."

"You know that I have to bring you to justice."

"And I want to show you how utterly useless trying would be. Come."

"I need to put on my shoes."

"Just put on the slippers. You won't be doing much walking." Krampus wrapped his right hand around Will's left wrist firmly so Will couldn't jump off the bed and run away. "You will be back before morning. Come."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here are some links regarding New Years' Day meals in Japan. 
> 
> http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/01/03/%E3%80%90japanese-culture%E3%80%91the-meaning-behind-osechi-ryori-traditional-new-years-food-in-japan/
> 
> http://japaninfoswap.com/osechi-japanese-new-years-food/
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osechi
> 
> Of course not all meals will be the same as there are local variations. One Osechi on a youtube video had sea eel chirashi.


	7. Chapter 7

Will walked with Krampus through the house and towards the front door. He looked around before leaving the house and did not see any signs of a struggle. He still had doubts that what was happening was real and wondered if perhaps this was another one of his dreams where he identified with the killer even though he was not looking through the killer's eyes or repeating their kills. "Krampus?"

"Yes?"

"What happened to Mason Verger, the missing boy?"

"He was delicious."

Will groaned. That was not the answer he wanted to hear.

"I did not want to lie to you and make you hope for his safe return. He hurt his sister and enjoyed it and he showed no remorse. He is not like a Chilton, who may be cowed into behaving properly."

"Are you trying to scare me into behaving properly?"

Krampus smiled. "I prefer my sleigh companions to be brave and naturally polite."

"People say I'm rude."

"Let me be the judge of that."

They walked out of the front door and Will saw the sleigh with the Ravenstag. He saw that it was snowing. 

"I have some furs for you in the sleigh," said Krampus.

Once he got on, Krampus wrapped him in a long fur blanket from his neck to his toes and gave him a matching fur hat. "Warm enough?"

Will nodded. The furs felt as if they were heated from within. "Aren't you cold?"

Krampus smiled. "Not in the slightest."

Krampus took hold of the reins and the Ravenstag became pulling the sleigh. Will noticed again that the surroundings soon became unfamiliar. "How fast is this sleigh?"

"This sleigh can take me anywhere I please in a matter of moments. So if your police were to try to follow, they would be quickly left behind."

"But if they were to capture you?"

"How could they explain me? And my Ravenstag can go through any barriers, mental or physical. The only way they could keep me imprisoned is if I decided to stay."

"Are you going to kill someone tonight?"

"Kill? Not tonight." Krampus pulled on the sleigh's reins so the Ravenstag stopped running. "Look, my dear." Krampus pointed up at the sky.

It was the Northern Lights. The green curtains of light in the sky did not ripple quickly but slowly changed form and brightness. "Oh, where are we?" said Will.

"Above the Arctic Circle," he said. "You like this?"

"It's beautiful."

Krampus then climbed out of the sled and put his hand on the ground. "Watch this."

Will reluctantly turned away from lights. The Ravenstag's horns burst into flames, illuminating the area around the sled. Krampus lifted his hand to reveal an ever growing mound of jewels and gold nuggets. "As you can see, I will never be without resources as even the earth will relinquish its treasures to me."

"Perhaps instead of giving lumps of coal and beatings, you should give out these instead."

"The only one who puts me in the mood to give these precious stones is you."

"Why are you showing this to me? I'm no one special." While he was sure Krampus had no current designs on his life or his flesh, he was still confused why he merited such unusual attention. 

"Aren't you? Hasn't anybody told you that since I last saw you?"

Will shook his head. 

Krampus collected the precious stones in his sack and climbed back into the sleigh. The flames of the Ravenstag's horns blew out and they went back to watching the lights.

Suddenly, it occurred to Will that Krampus seemed very lonely. "Are you the only one of your kind?"

"Yes."

"What exactly are you?"

Krampus looked at him for a while before saying, "The closest word you humans have for what I am is 'god.' I existed for thousands of years before they invented that silly story about the gift-giving chimney climber and I will exist thousands of years after it is forgotten."

Will thought Krampus sounded wistful. "If he really existed, at least you'd have company."

Krampus made a dismissive sound. "I would have eaten him and his reindeer. Oh, that reminds me. Would you like some mulled wine?"

"I drank quite a bit tonight. I'm afraid that if I drink any more, I'll wake up with a hangover." Will was wary of eating anything provided by Krampus as food was often used to bind one to supernatural forces. And it was true that while he had a high tolerance for alcohol, he didn't want to risk awakening Hannibal with a bout of vomiting. "It would be rude."

Krampus looked as if he wanted to argue that point but decided not to. "That's true."

As the lights faded away, Krampus picked up the reins. 

"Where are we going now?" said Will. 

"It's a surprise."


	8. Chapter 8

They stopped in front of a one-story house with a walled off backyard in a drab suburb, a beige clone of its numerous neighbors. "I thought you weren't going to kill someone," said Will.

Krampus smiled at him. "You know, Will, you worry too much. You'd be much more comfortable if you relaxed. I keep my promises. No murder . . . tonight." 

Krampus took the harness off the Ravenstag. "There we go."

As the Ravenstag ran towards the house, Krampus said, "Do not worry, nobody can see us unless I want them to."

The Ravenstag went through the wall as if it wasn't there. A minute or so later, there was a lot of loud shrieking and the sound of glass breaking. 

A few seconds later, they saw the Ravenstag jump over the wall to the backyard with a camera slung around its neck. 

"Thief, give me back my camera!" screamed Freddie Lounds clothed in little more than a camisole and a pair of blue underpants and flip flops. Running out of the front gate leading to the backyard, she was holding up a smart phone and was trying to simultaneously call 911 and take pictures of the giant animal intruder with the phone's built-in camera. 

The Ravenstag ran towards Krampus, who quickly harnessed it to the sleigh and they were soon off, flying through unfamiliar woods.

Will looked at Krampus who seemed to be shaking and realizing that he was laughing. "Krampus?"

"I thought you would find that amusing."

Will wanted to lie and say he didn't approve at all of what Krampus had done. He tried to suppress his smile but failed. "OK, I did find it funny."

"She bullies and lies about you constantly. That is a bad person in my book, worthy of punishment. If you like, you can name another I can punish."

Will shook his head.

"What about Jack Crawford?"

Will hesitated but still shook his head.

"If you insist."

"Where are we going now?"

"My home."

"Home?" 

A castle in the center of a vast plain soon came into view. 

Will turned to Krampus. "You live there?"

"Did you think I lived in a cave?"

"No, I didn't really . . ."

"I have many places where I spend the rest of the year. This just happens to be one of them. I don't invite just anybody here." 

The sleigh stopped in front of the castle. Krampus led Will to the castle's front gates. Using a key, he opened the door and let them both in. Inside the castle, the torches showed a long hallway. "I suggest that you do not wander around, it is easy to get lost here," said Krampus. Noticing that Will's breath could be seen, he said, "I will make things warmer soon."

Will followed Krampus closely to a room that held a grand fireplace and a grandfather clock. A wave of his hand caused a fire to appear. There was a couch and Krampus sat down. "I usually have a caretaker for this place but I let her go on vacation. You'd like her. She enjoys hunting and the outdoors."

Soon, Will felt extremely warm so he took off his hat then slowly shed the furs he had taken with him from the sleigh. Only his feet were cold from the brief walk from the sleigh to the castle and that was soon mended by wiggling them in front of the fire. 

Krampus got up. 

"Where are you going?" said Will.

"I'm going to make myself something to drink. I'll be back soon."

After Krampus left, Will found himself a little spooked at being by himself in the middle of an empty castle in the middle of nowhere. He thought of how strangely solicitous Krampus was behaving towards him. It was almost as if . . .

His thoughts were interrupted by Krampus coming into the room, holding a ladle, a cup and a pot with a handle. "What's that?"

"I'm making myself some mulled wine," said Krampus. "It is a mixture of red wine, cinnamon sticks, cloves, citron peel, sugar and vanilla pods."

He waved and the fire lowered itself so he could put the handle of his pot on the hook that suspended it over the fire. A delicious fruity sweet smell filled the room as he mixed it with the ladle. 

He took the pot off the fire, put it on the stonework that surrounded the fireplace and ladled himself a cup. He took a sip and apparently found it satisfactory as he then emptied half the cup before putting it down.

"The Feast of the Epiphany will be in five days," said Will. 

"Yes."

"Does that mean you'll disappear again?"

Krampus looked surprised. "Why do you say that?"

"Because I know that's when the Rougarou murders stopped and you disappeared. Jack had a student do some research and she found similar patterns elsewhere. "

"That is the day that I will disappear from sight from the rest of the world for a time. However, I will visit you on that day and offer you a true epiphany."

"Krampus . . ."

"Yes, Will?"

"Are you in love with me?"

Krampus put his hands on Will's face. "Would it scare you if I said yes?" He bent forward but Will did not retreat.

The kiss was chaste with the sweetness of the mulled wine lingering on his lips. The next was more passionate with Krampus pulling him close and his tongue brushing against his lips. 

They were interrupted by a clock chiming four times. 

Krampus regretfully stood up and said, "I should take you back before you're missed and it has been a long, eventful night."

***

"Will?"

Will opened his eyes and found himself back in bed. He looked up to see Hannibal smiling at him and dressed in a red sweater and black slacks. "Hannibal?"

"I've finished making brunch."

"What time is it?" said Will.

"Ten o'clock."

"Did you hear anything last night?"

"Hear anything? No. why? Do you snore?"

"I . . . thought the Krampus killer had come into the house last night . . ."

"He usually kills or at least attacks people, does he not?" said Hannibal as he sat down on the bed. "Yet, we're both fine."

"He told me that he was coming for me on the Feast of the Epiphany."

"Why would he do that?"

"I'm . . . not sure." Will couldn't bring himself to reveal the true reason Krampus visited him.

"Let's talk about this over brunch."

They both got up and walked to the dining room where breakfast had already been plated. 

"I did a variation of Eggs Benedict. Instead of an English muffin, I substituted a toasted croissant and instead of bacon, I added smoked salmon," said Hannibal as he poured orange juice for the both of them before seating himself.

"It looks delicious," said Will once he sat down.

"Why don't you tell me more about what happened?"

"You think it's a dream, don't you?"

"I think your upset about it is very real."

"He took me on his sleigh and showed me the Northern Lights."

"And you felt . . ."

"I felt that he was lonely."

"Lonely?"

"Yes. You must think I'm foolish for saying so."

"No, I respect your powers of empathy too much. Tell me more."

"His sleigh was pulled by a black deer. This part is a little embarrassing . . . We stopped by Freddie Lounds' place and he had the deer steal her camera."

Hannibal laughed. "I'm not laughing at you, Will. I am no fan of hers."

"I thought it was pretty funny too." Will said before taking a bite of the dish Hannibal created. "Mmm."

"And then . . ."

"He showed me his castle and told me he was coming to visit me once more."

"He didn't say why?"

"He said he was going to show me something but . . . I'm afraid that he's come to take me away."

"Are you going to tell Jack this?"

"No, he would say it's ridiculous. I feel silly talking about it with you and he's . . ."

"What do you plan to do?"

"He seems to be able to find me no matter where I am. After all, how could he know I would be at your house? I suppose I will have to prepare."

"Prepare, how?"

"He said he was a god, a pagan one. Iron and silver are said to be used in counteracting magical forces. I suppose I'll have to arm myself with them."

"Will, if you truly feel in danger then let me stay with you."

"No, I can't endanger anybody else with my presence. I want you to be safe. In fact, you should avoid me until after the Feast of the Epiphany."

"Will . . . no."

"If I'm still here the day after, then how about I take you out somewhere to eat?"

"I would like that very much but you don't have to . . ."

"I've made up my mind," said Will before taking another bite of breakfast.

***

"Hello, Franklyn," said Hannibal as he sat opposite his patient in his office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The caretaker Hannibal is referring to is Abigail.
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulled_wine


	9. Chapter 9

"Hello, Doctor Lecter," sniffled Franklyn.

Hannibal was not really in the mood to listen to him, especially since finding that his alter ego had basically chased Will away from him for the time being. Also the previous patient had wept continuously through her hour because her husband had run off with her best friend on New Year's Eve. 

"I have to say that I really resent having to wait for my appointment when you know I needed an emergency session!"

"You are here now," said Hannibal, careful to keep his voice calm and monotone.

"I just read that they suspected my best friend was killed by the same monster who has been committing the Krampus murders!" said Franklyn.

"Tobias Budge, yes, I remember the crime scene."

"I was the one who arranged his funeral. Nobody else cared to."

"That was very humane of you." 

"Yes, it was. After it got out that he himself had been a killer, I was the only attendee."

"Now that he's dead, you no longer have to worry about him making you next victim."

"That's not . . . That's not why I wanted an emergency session. I was his friend. He wasn't going to kill me even if he did threaten to from time to time." Franklyn picked up a tissue, honked his nose and put the balled up wad of mucus and moist paper on the table next, much to Hannibal's disgust.

Has an hour passed yet, Hannibal thought. 

"I now have a new fear."

Of course, thought Hannibal. "Please tell me all about it."

"I'm afraid that the killer who killed Tobias will be after me next."

Hannibal did a slow blink. This was actually unexpected. "Why would that be?"

"Because of my deep connection to Tobias."

Hannibal had to refrain from rolling his eyes, mentally praising himself for his restraint. "Tobias had many students and buyers and many acquaintances among the music fans of Baltimore. I am sure that the killer will not single you out."

"But, but you said that I was attractive to psychopaths."

"No, I said you were attracted to psychopaths. It's not the same thing at all." An intense feeling of aggravation rippled through Hannibal. He briefly fantasized about Franklyn's reaction to seeing Krampus in the flesh then wondered what percentage of Franklyn was made of snot. 

"Oh, that is different."

Hannibal felt the special phone he had for calls involving the FBI vibrate in his pocket. "Excuse me, I have to take this." He went outside the office. "Hello, this is Hannibal."

"This is Jack. I need you to come to a crime scene as soon as possible."

"I have one appointment to wrap up then I will be there. Is Will going to be there?"

"Yes."

Hannibal smiled. "Give me the address . . ."

Franklyn popped his head out of the room. "Doctor Lecter, I find it most inappropriate for you to interrupt a session like this."

"You are free to get another psychiatrist. I will recommend one to you."

"No!"

***

"Hello, Will." It made him feel a shiver of pleasure just to see Will standing there.

"Hello, Doctor Lecter," said Will. 

Hannibal frowned until he saw Will tilt his head toward Jack while Jack's back was turned. He then understood that Will didn't want Jack to know how much more friendly they were.

They both turned to see the crime scene. Hannibal had put some extra work in this one. He had created a facsimile of William-Adolphe Bouguereau's "The Abduction of Psyche 1895," a painting where an adult Cupid is embracing his swooning bride to be and about to fly off with her. The artist was not exactly a favorite of his but this particular painting had caught his fancy. However, instead of a woman in the embrace of the male victim he had given wings made out of back skin, he had chosen someone with a passing resemblance to Will, a blackmailer and low level con artist named Anthony Dimmond. He watched Will closely, hoping he would understand the message behind this.

Will closed his eyes for longer than he usually did before he turned to Hannibal. "Can I talk to you about what I saw before I tell Jack?"

"Of course."

"Anything?" yelled Jack from a distance.

"I need to sort it all out in my head first," said Will.

They walked off a short distance. "What is it that is bothering you, Will?"

"That night Krampus visited me . . . I didn't tell you everything that happened. That murder scene was a gift . . ."

"Gift?"

"One of the victims kind of looks like me or enough so that it would cross my mind. He is positioned so he's being abducted by a supernatural being. However, his expression has been made to be not fearful but ecstatic. I think Krampus is sending the message that he wants to do the same with me."

"Why would he do that?"

"He . . . has romantic feelings for me."

"I see."

"You're not going to ask how I know this?"

"I can see how reluctant you were to share this with me. I suppose he told you." Hannibal was amused by the faint blush on Will's face.

"Yes . . . I believe it's his idea of a bouquet."

"If I may hazard a guess, I think he may be referencing the story of Cupid and Psyche."

"That's the story of a god who fell in love with a mortal."

"Yes."

"Even though that ended happily ever after, many god and human pairings don't." 

"I believe they avoided much unhappiness by having Psyche become a god like her husband."

"I'm not sure what I should tell Jack."

"You will be telling him that this is the work of Krampus?"

"It is definitely the work of Krampus. I just don't know how to explain the rest."

"Tell him that the figure is like the Angel of Death taking a victim to his rightful place in their afterlife."

"That's lying."

"Or you could simply say you don't know. Let him puzzle over it for once." Hannibal gave Will a reassuring micro-smile. 

Will gave him a small smile back. "What's worse is . . ."

"I'm here for you, Will."

"I occasionally feel the temptation to let him take me."

"Oh . . ."

"It's wrong . . . I can't . . ."

"So, any conclusions?" said Jack as he walked up to them. 

"We believe that this is the work of Krampus despite the differences in presentation. As for why he presented the victims like this, we believe that he is showing himself as an all powerful abductor," said Hannibal.

Jack frowned. "Krampus doesn't have wings in the mythology."

"Maybe you should ask him why he decided to add that when he's caught," said Will. 

Jack scowled. "Enough of your lip, Will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> http://www.bouguereau.org/The-Abduction-of-Psyche-1895-large.html is the painting I had in mind.


	10. Chapter 10

"That is all we can derive from the scene. We will need some information from the forensic team in order to further extrapolate possible scenarios," said Hannibal.

As Jack went to talk to other agents in the area, Hannibal said, "I figured that the area would be lacking in good places to eat so I packed a lunch. I knew you would be here so I packed enough for two. Please, it'll only go to waste."

Will frowned. "Why are you so interested in me?"

"Is there a reason I shouldn't be?"

"Dozens."

"I doubt that seriously. I know a park nearby that has tables."

As they walked towards the park, Will said, "I know that Jack is afraid that the window of opportunity to catch this particular killer is closing."

"Is that why you plan on being both bait and hunter on the night of the Feast of Epiphany?"

"I'm not doing it for Jack."

"So, you say."

"Aren't you worried about his future victims?"

"It's you I worry about. You aren't the only one working on this case and you shouldn't act as if it were."

"You work on these cases . . ." said Will. "You're not exactly following your own advice."

"I know how much of myself to invest in them. I find them intellectually interesting and am glad to be of service but I do not lose myself in the details nor the outcome."

"If I don't see you after the Feast of the Epiphany, could you do me a favor?"

"I have no problem doing you a favor but I will be seeing you after that day."

"My dogs are great companions but terrible guard dogs so I plan on putting them in a kennel the day before. I was wondering if you could make sure to find them homes. I don't want them to end up at the pound and put down."

"I promise you that they will not go to the pound or be put down. You do not have to worry about that."

"I could ask Alana or Bev . . ."

"You asked me and I said yes." Hannibal saw the picnic table. "There it is."

After sitting down, Hannibal put out two place mats, two sets of silverware and two plates. He quickly plated two plates of a salad that was mix of young spinach leaves, thin slices of ripe persimmon, dried cranberries, mandarin segments, small chunks of feta and a few pomegranate seeds. He poured a mustard honey dressing over both salads. He served both him and Will a honey wheat bun studded with walnuts and several slices of dried and cured meats. 

Will smiled. "I'm sure that you're going to tell me that you dried and cured the meat yourself."

"Why, yes, I did. How did you know?"

"Just a lucky guess. You seem the type to do it."

"Perhaps you should have been the one who went into psychiatry."

Will made a dismissive noise. "I don't see that as being much better for me mentally."

"Point taken. Boredom in its own way can be just as bad as fear. I'm curious. What weapons do you plan to use to face our killer?"

"I bought a silver knife and made a dozen shotgun shells filled with silver beads. I also sprinkled holy water throughout the house. I also made a few gris gris bags."

"Gris gris bags? I've never heard of them."

"It's a small bag with a mixture of ingredients that can be used as protection. It's a Louisiana thing. It originally started in Africa to keep djinn or evil spirits away and came to the South along with the slaves."

"I didn't know that you were that up on magic."

"I'm not, really. I grew up there, was a cop in a lot of different parishes, and you end up picking up a few things here and there. To be honest, I made them because I can't really think of anything else to do." 

"You don't think he'll be angry and disappointed at being ambushed?" It was hard for Hannibal not to pout. 

"I'm sure he'll be furious. That's why I don't want anybody else around, especially you."

After Will cleaned his plate, Hannibal brought out a small plastic container and took off the lid. "This is a little thing I made last night."

Despite having eaten a great deal, Will felt his mouth water at the smell. The plain pale ivory custard's aroma reminded him of honey, ripe fruit and fresh cream. Noticing that Hannibal was giving him the entire container, Will said, "Aren't you going to have any?"

"I have plenty at home. It's all for you."

***

The next morning, Will woke up feeling tired and a little feverish. All this going out to crime scenes is wearing me down, he thought. It's a good thing I don't have to lecture today. Ughh, the sheets are soaked. I must be more feverish than I thought. 

He decided to take the dogs to the kennel early so he could concentrate on getting well before the appointed day. He whistled for all the dogs to get into the car and drove them to a place Alana had recommended to him. 

Once there, he went to the counter person. "I'm Will Graham. I made a reservation for seven dogs a couple days from now but I want to know if you can take them in early. I've come down with a really bad cold and I need to get ready . . ."

The counter person looked at his computer and said, "Fortunately for you, we have room. That will cost extra."

"That's not a problem," said Will. He felt relieved as the counter person got a kennel worker to help them inside. 

After he drove back home, he took a shower, changed his sheets and got back in bed. I still have a couple days, he thought. I can't be sick when he comes by. Knowing that the Ravenstag could go through walls worried him as well. I can't even put my back against something and feel safe. He briefly imagined himself being gored from the back by the Ravenstag, its horns through his chest and his feet dripping with blood.

He felt deep in his gut that his weapons were lacking. He's a pagan god, Will thought dejectedly. He briefly thought of the Norse god Baldur, who died from being hit by an arrow made of mistletoe. He frowned because most places sold sprigs and bunches but nothing big and hard enough to make one good strong arrow, never mind multiple arrows. He also briefly considered taking shelter in a church but couldn't help but feel that Krampus would have no problem placing his hooves inside its walls. Also, how could he request a church at such short notice and what reason could he give?

I'll carve a few stakes tomorrow. Maybe oak or birch, he thought. He considered telling Jack to stake out his house in case Krampus came by but then his vision of Jack's grumpy face upon being told about a killer pagan god who had a magical reindeer killed that idea quite dead. He also knew even Jack got him an agent who would go along with this, he or she would refuse to follow any of his advice and insist on relying on their gun.

He closed his eyes and sighed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gris-gris_(talisman) has more details about gris gris bags. 
> 
> Parishes in Louisiana are a lot like counties in other states. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_parishes_in_Louisiana
> 
> Will might have considered in passing summoning loa, spirits of voodoo, to help with his problem. But he is not a practitioner and would probably be loathe to the idea of having another supernatural being in his life. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loa


	11. Chapter 11

His dream started out much like the other dreams he often had when investigating a murder. He imagined himself tracking the man who was part of the art piece Krampus had created. However, the dream seemed to start to veer off with his steps turning away from the murderer's intended victim and going into a nearby church. Inside the church, there seemed to be a thousand lit candles throwing a warm, golden light. What shocked him was seeing both Hannibal and Krampus in the church. I . . . I must be dreaming about a church because I was wondering if Krampus could get in but why is Hannibal here, he thought. 

Both Hannibal and Krampus turned to him and smiled. He frowned when he noticed that Krampus had an enormous phallus instead of his usual genderless crotch. He yelled, "What are you doing?" when Hannibal began taking off his white suit.

"Why are you so alarmed, Will? You are already naked," said Hannibal calmly.

Will was about to protest except he looked down and realized that what Hannibal said was true. He put his hands over himself and willed himself to walk out before anybody else saw him but found his feet refused to leave the floor. 

Hannibal kissed him on both cheeks before kissing him on the lips. Krampus satisfied himself with putting his hands on Will's shoulders and nuzzling his neck while brushing his sharp teeth against his skin without piercing it. Will began to tremble from the amount of attention he was receiving. He could feel the sweat on his body and said, "I don't think that you should touch me right now. I've not been well . . ."

Both Hannibal and Krampus seemed to take no note of this and if anything, began licking the sweat off his body as if it was nectar of the gods with Krampus licking him up and down his spine while Hannibal tongued his nipples and dotted his chest with thirsty kisses. Will wanted to collapse but their hands on him and whatever magic was keeping him from fleeing held him up even as Hannibal nuzzled and kissed his treasure trail and Krampus used his long, broad tongue to draw circles around each buttock.

"Why are we here?" said Will.

"Because a church is the best place for worship," said Hannibal before getting on his knees and kissing Will's cock with a hungry reverence. At the same time, Krampus was now licking Will's hole and slowly opening it up with his wet tongue probing and twirling so it could slide in.

Will gasped as Hannibal took his cock into his mouth while Krampus began working his ass in earnest. "Oh . . ." he groaned as their ministrations worked him up into a state of ecstasy with warm waves of pleasure coming from deep inside his ass and from his cock. Hannibal's lips slid back and forth along his now hard cock while Krampus' long tongue seemed to grow ever thicker and longer. He could tell from the crinkles around his eyes how smug Hannibal felt about making him moan. However, he couldn't get himself together enough to scold him for that. It wasn't long before he was coming into Hannibal's mouth with a yell.  
He opened his eyes and found that he was again moist from sweating but also had the added problem of having come in his shorts during the night. 

Maybe I should go to a hospital, he thought. Then he imagined Krampus and the Ravenstag stomping through the hospital looking for him. He couldn't imagine any of the hospital staff allowing him to take any of his weapons to his hospital room. Even if nobody else was killed or scourged with birch branches, he didn't want to scare the hospital with his sudden and mysterious disappearance. I'll go after the Feast of the Epiphany. What did that dream mean, Will thought. 

He took a shower, put on some fresh clothes, and was about to bury some gris gris bags around the house to form what he hoped would be a defensive perimeter when the phone rang. He picked it up. "Hello?"

"Will, this is Hannibal."

"There hasn't been another murder, has there?"

"I'm not Jack, Will. I'm interested in you for more than that. There have been reports of some floggings. A pair of lovers were flogged, a pastor sleeping with a married woman who was a member of his congregation in a hotel in the next town over. They were found out when the pastor fled without his clothes, leaving his paramour to face Krampus alone."

"Oh, of course."

"Yes, the hypocrisy of the hyper religious is always entertaining. He will inevitably do a sermon about how a beast of Satan possessed him to do naughty things and his congregation will weep and cheer at his obvious triumph at having expelled it."

"Then perhaps Krampus should do more than flog him."

"There was also a member of the orchestra who is reputed to have gotten his position through connections rather than talent. He was also flogged until his fine clothes were in shreds." There was a small pause. "You sound a little under the weather."

"I think I caught something."

"I'll make . . ."

"Please don't come over. I don't want you to catch whatever it is."

"Before I was a psychiatrist, I worked in the emergency room. I don't think you can expose me to anything that I haven't already seen. If I come over to examine you, I could probably give you a proper diagnosis."

"No, I'll go to the hospital if I'm not over it in a few days."

"The least I can do is make you some soup."

"You really shouldn't. You have to keep yourself available in case Jack calls you once he finds out I'm unavailable. Besides I'm sweating like crazy and I don't want to offend your nose."

"How about your dogs?"

"I look them to the kennel early. Luckily, they had room."

"I know how much you worry about them. I will wait a while longer for Jack's call, but I will be making you something if you're not better."

"Feast of the Epiphany is tomorrow so come the day after that."

"I prescribe that you stay at home, get lots of bed rest and drink lots of hot liquid. Also, you must call me if your condition gets any worse."

"All right. Bye, Hannibal."

"Bye."


	12. Chapter 12

Will made sure that all his windows and doors to his house were locked and shut. He watched the sun set. He made himself a pot of coffee intending to stay up all the way to dawn. He decided to get a portable radio and put the music on low so he could still hear anybody entering the house but not fall asleep out of boredom. He didn't dare to read because his empathy was such that he'd completely block out what was really going on for the fictional world of the book. He laid out all the weapons out on the table he had moved to the middle of the living room. They consisted of a few wooden stakes, a silver steak knife and his shotgun, already loaded. He had buried a dozen gris gris bags around his house to create a defensive perimeter. 

He was startled by the sound of two muffled explosions which make him jump to his feet. A few seconds later, he hears a knock on the door and he snatched up the shot gun. He breathed a shaky sigh of relief when he heard Hannibal's voice call his name then angry beyond all measure because he had specifically asked him not to come this night of all nights, then he briefly wondered if this was someone or something pretending to be Hannibal. He waited a short time for the Ravenstag to burst in but there was only Hannibal knocking again and asking if he is in.

Will quietly tiptoed to the door and looked through the door. It was definitely Hannibal, carrying a basket, presumably full of goodies. Will opened the door slowly and hissed, "What are you doing here? I told you not to come!"

"I was worried about you. I wanted to make sure that you were conscious tonight and not curled up in a feverish sweaty ball in your bed."

"You could have called."

"You would've stumbled to the phone, said you were fine then collapsed back on top of your bed. It's obvious you're not at all well. I doubt you could fight off Baxter in your condition."

"What was the sound I heard?"

"Oh . . . My mechanic has turned out to be subpar. It was my car backfiring twice. I'm sorry if it scared you. I will have it fixed tomorrow."

"Please go home. Why won't you go home?"

"Because," said Hannibal as he put his hand on Will's cheek, "I want to stay, no matter what the consequences." 

Will stood and let Hannibal wrap his arms around him and kiss him. It was warm, sweet and unhurried. "I warned you that you might catch what I have so you can't blame me afterwards," he said.

"I take full responsibility. Now, will you finally let me come in?"

"All right," said Will. "But no more kisses until I'm completely over this."

"Agreed."

"Any goodies for me in that basket," Will asked as Hannibal stepped into the house.

"That's a given."

Will smiled in what felt like a long time. "I can't eat too much. I'll fall asleep if you fill me up."

"I kept it rather light. What's all that on the table?"

"I have wooden stakes and a silver knife. I also have my shotgun already loaded. The truth is that if Krampus comes here, I'd rather you just grab one of them and run."

"Krampus would be sure to punish me soundly for abandoning you. I think you mentioned gris gris bags."

"Yes, I buried them outside. I'm hoping it keeps him away. Would you like some coffee?"

"Please."

Will poured Hannibal a cup then poured himself one. Hannibal pulled out an apple tart from his basket. Will took a sniff and found it to have a lovely fruity scent mixed with the warm, sweet aroma from a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Hannibal proceeded to pull two plates, two forks and a knife which he used to cut each of them a slice. 

After he took a bite, Will said, "What kind of apples did you use for this? I've tried my hand at pie but the apples I use usually end up either too mushy or too watery." 

"They're a special type of apple from Northern Europe. They're the rare apple that is equally good cooked or eaten out of hand. I make sure to eat one every day. They're very good for your health."

"I hope it does the trick for what I have."

"May I examine you? I am a doctor, after all."

"OK."

Will let Hannibal put his hand on his forehead, touch his wrist while looking at his watch and touch his neck. 

"Your glands aren't swollen and you're not too hot," said Hannibal. He took a deep sniff near Will.

"Did you just smell me?"

"In the olden days, doctors used to smell and use their other senses to figure out their patient's illnesses."

"So, doctor, am I going to die?"

"Never, not as long as I am around."

"I find that so reassuring, especially tonight."

"You could take a short nap while I keep watch."

Will shook his head. "Absolutely not. I'm afraid the second I close my eyes is the second he comes bursting through the door."

"He wouldn't do something that rude," said Hannibal, turning to face Will and taking Will's hands in his. 

"Why do you say that?"

"Because he's already here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Those apples are the apples of youth in Norse mythology.


	13. Chapter 13

"What?" Instead of Hannibal sitting in front of him, it was Krampus wearing a plaid suit. Will tried to take his hands out of Krampus' grasp and reach for his weapons only to find himself unable to get up and pull his hands back. The wooden stakes suddenly turned into mountains of wood shavings and the silver knife's reflective surface tarnished to utter blackness. As for the gun, Krampus whistled and the Ravenstag trotted in, picked it up with its mouth and ran off with it. 

"The gun wouldn't have worked against me anyway. A direct shot would have hurt but I wouldn't have died," said Krampus.

"So, nothing I planned would have worked."

"There was one thing that worked for a short while. Remember the car backfiring you heard earlier? Actually, my car is in perfect order. I had to expend much more power than I expected to breach the perimeter you created. I had to destroy two of your gris gris bags in order to get to your door."

"I don't understand."

"Today is the Feast of the Epiphany. I have several epiphanies for you, a feast if you will. Do you remember that you once asked me if I was the only one of my kind?"

"Yes."

"In the old days, there were many gods and goddesses. However, with time and despair at seeing the number of their followers dwindle, they gradually faded into non-existence or mimicked humanity until they forgot they were gods and truly became mortal. I myself have not seen another god in centuries."

"But you survived."

"I had the temperament not to need followers to survive. I adapted, I fed, I created and destroyed. I enjoyed my solitude for the most part. Even though I did not see a god, I did see remnants of their bloodlines in humans. Even now there are still descendants of them even though many of them came to unfortunate ends."

"Are you saying I'm one of them?"

"You may even be the son of one of them. You did say that your mother left when you were just a toddler. Gods are attracted to humans who can help them create heroes even if the human parents are themselves not at all heroic. Also, it seems you have more power than you know. I should not have had to use any effort to act against the spells you cast in those bags you buried around your house but I did because you inherited those powers."

"Even if I was the son of one of them . . . I'm still nothing special."

"The children of a goddess and a man tend to be born mortal. However, they did not always stay mortal."

"You . . . want me to be a god."

"You are halfway there." With that, Krampus lightly scratched the back of one of Will's hands with the tip of one of his claws and instead of blood, a pale, pinkish fluid came out.

"What have you done?" said Will as the scratch healed without a scar in seconds. He found himself both fascinated and aghast at the sight.

"I have given you a rare gift. Your present discomfort is temporary. I will help quicken its end." Krampus pulled him to his feet. "Do not be afraid."

Will let Krampus lead him. "Where are we going?"

"To your backyard, everything has been prepared."

Will saw a bonfire and before he could do anything, Krampus swept him off his feet and threw him into the air, towards the fire. Will screamed but soon realized he was not in the fire but was suspended over it by what felt like invisible netting. The heat from the flames did not burn him as he feared but merely caused him to sweat even more. 

"After the first time I met you, I decided to search for something that could make you immortal. It took me much longer than I expected but I finally found ambrosia, food of the Greek gods. I fed it to you as a dessert after you saw my reproduction of Cupid and Psyche's embrace. While it seems Cupid only had to feed his beloved ambrosia to make her his immortal wife, there are other myths that show a need to do more. Thetis, a sea nymph, attempted to burn away the mortality of her son, Achilles, by anointing him with ambrosia and holding him over the flames. She was interrupted by her human husband when only the mortality of the heel was left to burn away. I will not make the same mistake as her."

"Krampus . . . Hannibal . . . I'm afraid." said Will. He felt his clothes burning and turning to ash and his flesh seemingly gushing out water. He was feeling a change creep through his body. He shivered at hearing the hiss and sizzle of his sweat dripping on the flames below him. 

"It won't be long now," said Krampus as he massaged the substance all over Will's body, which completely absorbed it. "The blood in your body is turning into ichor, your body will never age and even though you can still feel pain, you are invulnerable to all the usual things that could harm you."

"Everybody will know . . . They'll find out." 

"Not as long as I am with you. I will teach you how to use the powers you have. I will show you the art of hiding in plain sight. The whole world is open to you. As for the others . . . Have you not always felt separated and isolated from them? Have you not desired something from them that they could not give you? Do you really care what they think of you?"

Closing his eyes, Will felt the thoughts and feelings in his head shifting around. A lot of worry and fear that had swirled in his mind felt like they were evaporating along with the mortality oozing out of his body. Something had changed fundamentally inside him. When his body no longer exuded any more moisture, Will felt himself being lifted and carried away from the fire then helped to stand up. Cool water was poured over him than he felt himself being dried off with a soft towel. He opened his eyes. "Krampus?"

"How do you feel?" said the pagan god as he wrapped his arms around Will in a gesture that was not merely romantic but done so Will could rest against him.

"Tired, different, I feel . . ." He felt relieved as if finally understanding that trying to be with those who would always reject him as different would only result in failure, that this transformation was only an extension of something that had always been there. His heart felt lighter and simpler, now that he could concentrate more on his own happiness. "I feel better . . ."

"Will?"

"Yes?"

"Who do you prefer me as? Hannibal or Krampus?"

"I like both versions of you."

Krampus smiled and kissed him then changed into Hannibal and kissed him as well. "Then I will take you both ways."

"Krampus?"

"Yes, Will?" 

"Can we pick up the dogs?"

Krampus laughed. "I believe I can make enough room in the sled for them."

The End

Epilogue:

Jack scowled as he looked at his phone. He had tried to contact both Will and Hannibal multiple times but his calls to both of them persistently went to voice mail. 

He turned around and looked at the murder tableau that had been found in an abandoned church. He had mistakenly believed that Krampus had satisfied himself with merely flogging a few people during the latter half of the Twelve Days of Christmas. However, it turned out he was wrong. 

Found the day after the Feast of the Epiphany, Krampus had created a Nativity Scene made of corpses of people whose backgrounds ranged from the merely murky to the downright unsavory. Cordell Doemling, a doctor for hire willing to work under the table for various criminals, was playing Joseph though with his face missing. Bedelia Du Maurier, whose last known patient died under mysterious circumstances in her office, was Mary in a kneeling position, dressed in a blue veil and a long matching cloak that hid her missing calves. Three other men playing the Magi were Clark Ingram, a social worker recently accused of being a serial killer by one of his charges; Randall Tier, who was being investigated for a series of deaths that had once been thought to have been done by a bear; and Garret Jacob Hobbs, who had not been accused of any crime previously but was now being investigated. 

However, noted Jack to himself, There is no infant Jesus in the cradle. It would appear that the revelation of the divinity is missing. What is Krampus trying to tell me?

**Author's Note:**

> I plan for most of the victims to be adults but wanted to start with Mason and Chilton as a callback to Krampus' roots as something to scare children into behaving. 
> 
> For some reason, I just really, really, really wanted Krampus!Hannibal. 
> 
> The current configuration of Hannibal is closer to the show's Wendigo look than being as goat-like as Krampus.
> 
> As for kid Chilton, I was thinking more along the lines of Eustace in the Narnia series before he went on his adventures. He's not an evil boy in the story but not someone you'd want to hang with, a bit on the insufferable side. And much like Eustace, his parents are a big reason he was the way he was.


End file.
